WASHINGTON— U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after the Senate voted 68-31 to confirm Ryan Zinke to serve as the next Secretary of the Department of Interior (DOI):

“Today I voted to confirm Congressman Ryan Zinke as the next Secretary of the Interior.

“As Interior Secretary, Mr. Zinke will be tasked with managing our public lands and natural resources, including our national parks and significant historic sites across Virginia which are maintained by the National Park Service. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I was encouraged by Mr. Zinke’s public commitment to address the National Park Service’s maintenance and repair backlog, which now totals more than $12 billion. I look forward to working with him to find common sense solutions to reduce that backlog. He also will have the support of this region's bipartisan congressional delegation in securing additional funding for the National Park Service’s continued rehabilitation of Memorial Bridge, which connects Arlington to the District of Columbia and provides a vital commuter link in the region's transportation network.

“In addition to managing the country’s public lands and natural resources, the Secretary of the Interior—through the Bureau of Indian Affairs—provides essential services to our nation's federally recognized tribes. While Virginia tribes have been an essential part of our nation's history, most of them have still not been federally recognized by our government. I look forward to working with Secretary  Zinke to rectify this longstanding issue."

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